Summer sun powers Aldinga wastewater services

SA Water’s wastewater treatment plant in Aldinga is now being powered by almost 4000 solar panels as part of the utility’s renewable energy initiative to reduce operational costs and carbon emissions.

Together with more than 1,000 kilowatt hours of on-site battery storage, the fixed tilt solar array has a generation capacity of 2,439 megawatt hours of clean, green solar energy per year.

SA Water’s Senior Manager Zero Cost Energy Future Nicola Murphy said the solar array is among more than 30 installed at its storage tanks, treatment plants and other infrastructure sites.

“With our extensive water and wastewater operations across South Australia making us one of the state’s largest electricity consumers, we want to harness new technology and initiatives to keep our operating costs low and stable,” Nicola said.

“Now energised and taking in the summer sun, these 3,996 solar photovoltaic panels at Aldinga can generate enough solar energy to power more than 400 average South Australian homes ever year.

“We’re also proud to set an example as proactive environmental leaders in South Australia, with this particular array reducing carbon emissions by more than 1,000 tonnes each year of operation.”

One of the largest renewable energy projects in the Australian water industry, SA Water’s zero cost energy future initiative will generate around 242 gigawatt hours of solar energy, along with 34 megawatt hours of battery storage.

A total of almost 370,000 solar panels are now in the ground at SA Water locations across South Australia, ranging from small rooftop arrays up to more than 60,000 panels helping power the 350-plus-kilometre Morgan to Whyalla Pipeline.

“With significant progress already made, our team is busy getting our remaining sites energised and connected to the national electricity grid,” Nicola said.

“This initiative was designed by our people, and shows South Australians leading the way with the smarts and skills to integrate renewable energy and storage across our existing plants, pump stations and other land holdings.”

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